What Happened to Goodbye

People who bought this also bought...

The Rest of the Story

By:
Sarah Dessen

Narrated by:
Rebecca Soler

Length: 12 hrs and 4 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
270

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
254

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
252

Emma Saylor doesn’t remember a lot about her mother, who died when Emma was 12. But she does remember the stories her mom told her about the big lake that went on forever, with cold, clear water and mossy trees at the edges. Now, it’s just Emma and her dad, and life is good, if a little predictable...until Emma is unexpectedly sent to spend the summer with her mother’s family, whom she hasn’t seen since she was a little girl.

5 out of 5 stars

nostalgia warning

By
Becky
on
06-13-19

Along for the Ride

By:
Sarah Dessen

Narrated by:
Rachel Botchan

Length: 12 hrs and 46 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
332

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
210

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
215

It's been so long since Auden slept at night. Ever since her parents' divorce - or since the fighting started. Now she has the chance to spend a carefree summer with her dad and his new family in the charming beach town where they live.A job in a clothes boutique introduces Auden to the world of girls: their talk, their friendship, their crushes. She missed out on all that, too busy being the perfect daughter to her demanding mother. Then she meets Eli, an intriguing loner and a fellow insomniac.

3 out of 5 stars

Not a romance story

By
Julie
on
03-08-12

Once and for All

By:
Sarah Dessen

Narrated by:
Karissa Vacker

Length: 10 hrs and 41 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
428

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
389

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
388

Is it really better to have loved and lost? Louna's summer job is to help brides plan their perfect days, even though she stopped believing in happily ever after when her first love ended tragically. But charming girl-magnet Ambrose isn't about to be discouraged now that he's met the one he really wants. Maybe Louna's second chance is standing right in front of her.

GREAT book

Saint Anything

By:
Sarah Dessen

Narrated by:
Taylor Meskimen

Length: 12 hrs and 41 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
486

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
423

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
429

Peyton, Sydney's charismatic older brother, has always been the star of the family, receiving the lion's share of their parents' attention and - lately - concern. When Peyton's increasingly reckless behavior culminates in an accident, a drunk driving conviction, and a jail sentence, Sydney is cast adrift, searching for her place in the family and the world. ?

3 out of 5 stars

Not my favorite.

By
Remy
on
05-25-15

This Lullaby

By:
Sarah Dessen

Narrated by:
Ali Ahn

Length: 10 hrs and 31 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
187

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
157

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
153

Remy always knows the perfect time to give a boyfriend "The Speech" telling him it's over - after the initial romantic whirl, but before the reality of an actual relationship hits. Her friends tease that her boyfriend tally is nearing the triple digit mark, but she's a girl who knows just how to avoid any messy emotional entanglement. After all, she's had the example of her five-times-married mother to show her what not to do.So what, then, is it about Dexter that makes it so hard for her to follow her own rules?

5 out of 5 stars

I couldn't stop listening

By
Kathryn
on
10-14-12

The Rest of the Story

By:
Sarah Dessen

Narrated by:
Rebecca Soler

Length: 12 hrs and 4 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
270

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
254

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
252

Emma Saylor doesn’t remember a lot about her mother, who died when Emma was 12. But she does remember the stories her mom told her about the big lake that went on forever, with cold, clear water and mossy trees at the edges. Now, it’s just Emma and her dad, and life is good, if a little predictable...until Emma is unexpectedly sent to spend the summer with her mother’s family, whom she hasn’t seen since she was a little girl.

5 out of 5 stars

nostalgia warning

By
Becky
on
06-13-19

Along for the Ride

By:
Sarah Dessen

Narrated by:
Rachel Botchan

Length: 12 hrs and 46 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
332

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
210

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
215

It's been so long since Auden slept at night. Ever since her parents' divorce - or since the fighting started. Now she has the chance to spend a carefree summer with her dad and his new family in the charming beach town where they live.A job in a clothes boutique introduces Auden to the world of girls: their talk, their friendship, their crushes. She missed out on all that, too busy being the perfect daughter to her demanding mother. Then she meets Eli, an intriguing loner and a fellow insomniac.

3 out of 5 stars

Not a romance story

By
Julie
on
03-08-12

Once and for All

By:
Sarah Dessen

Narrated by:
Karissa Vacker

Length: 10 hrs and 41 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
428

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
389

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
388

Is it really better to have loved and lost? Louna's summer job is to help brides plan their perfect days, even though she stopped believing in happily ever after when her first love ended tragically. But charming girl-magnet Ambrose isn't about to be discouraged now that he's met the one he really wants. Maybe Louna's second chance is standing right in front of her.

GREAT book

Saint Anything

By:
Sarah Dessen

Narrated by:
Taylor Meskimen

Length: 12 hrs and 41 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
486

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
423

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
429

Peyton, Sydney's charismatic older brother, has always been the star of the family, receiving the lion's share of their parents' attention and - lately - concern. When Peyton's increasingly reckless behavior culminates in an accident, a drunk driving conviction, and a jail sentence, Sydney is cast adrift, searching for her place in the family and the world. ?

3 out of 5 stars

Not my favorite.

By
Remy
on
05-25-15

This Lullaby

By:
Sarah Dessen

Narrated by:
Ali Ahn

Length: 10 hrs and 31 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
187

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
157

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
153

Remy always knows the perfect time to give a boyfriend "The Speech" telling him it's over - after the initial romantic whirl, but before the reality of an actual relationship hits. Her friends tease that her boyfriend tally is nearing the triple digit mark, but she's a girl who knows just how to avoid any messy emotional entanglement. After all, she's had the example of her five-times-married mother to show her what not to do.So what, then, is it about Dexter that makes it so hard for her to follow her own rules?

I couldn't stop listening

The Truth About Forever

By:
Sarah Dessen

Narrated by:
Stina Nielsen

Length: 12 hrs and 14 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
443

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
324

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
324

In
The Truth About Forever, Dessen depicts a young woman coming to terms with the tragic death of her father. Macy Queen likes order and control, that's the only way she can keep her grief from consuming her. But a summer spent working with a boy named Wes slowly begins to thaw the ice that's been surrounding Macy's heart. Wes teaches her that forever isn't always about goodbyes and love doesn't always have to hurt.

Sarah's Best

Just Listen

By:
Sarah Dessen

Narrated by:
Jennifer Ikeda

Length: 11 hrs and 44 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
351

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
294

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
297

Sara Dessen delivers the bittersweet story of a dissatisfied model and the offbeat guy who teaches her that only truth can set her free. As her beautiful, self-assured image flashes across the TV screen, Annabel Greene is the ideal 17-year-old girl. But the glitter of her commercials is a far cry from Annabel is a social outcast. Can music-obsessed Owen with his commitment to truth convince Annabel to reveal a dark secret and bravely confront reality?

5 out of 5 stars

A must read!!!

By
Abby
on
07-12-17

The Moon and More

By:
Sarah Dessen

Narrated by:
Allie Gallerani

Length: 11 hrs and 25 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
131

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
115

Story

4 out of 5 stars
116

Luke is the perfect boyfriend. He and Emaline have been together all through high school in Colby, the beach town where they both grew up. Enter Theo, a super-ambitious outsider. Theo's sophisticated, exciting, and, best of all, he thinks Emaline is much too smart for Colby. Emaline's mostly-absentee father, too, thinks Emaline should have a bigger life, and he's convinced that an Ivy League education is the only route to realizing her potential. Emaline wants the moon and more, but how can she balance where she comes from with where she's going?

2 out of 5 stars

eh

By
Amazon Customer
on
11-23-17

Keeping the Moon

By:
Sarah Dessen

Narrated by:
Stina Nielsen

Length: 6 hrs and 30 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
81

Performance

4 out of 5 stars
61

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
61

While her mother, aerobics queen Kiki Sparks, spends the summer touring Europe, 15-year-old Colie Sparks is stuck in sleepy Colby, North Carolina. But she's not complaining. For one thing, her Aunt Mira is a sweet, laid-back eccentric; for another, no one knows that back home in Charlotte Colie is seen as a formerly-fat "golf-course slut," the school scapegoat. Then, by fate or by accident, Colie lands a waitressing job, where she meets Morgan and Isabel.

1 out of 5 stars

Incomplete

By
Jennifer
on
07-18-11

Dreamland

By:
Sarah Dessen

Narrated by:
Elizabeth Morton

Length: 8 hrs and 27 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
102

Performance

4 out of 5 stars
85

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
84

Caitlin can't afford to leave this dreamland, this half-sleeping state where everything and everyone can be kept at arm's length. Because then she'd have to face the ugly truth about her relationship with Rogerson: magnetic, fascinating--and very dangerous--Rogerson. What is it about Rogerson Biscoe...and why can't she leave him?

3 out of 5 stars

narrarator very bland

By
Dani
on
02-25-16

That Summer

By:
Sarah Dessen

Narrated by:
Mia Barron

Length: 4 hrs and 38 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
58

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
51

Story

4 out of 5 stars
51

For fifteen-year-old Haven, life is changing too quickly. She's nearly six feet tall, her father is getting remarried, and her sister - the always perfect Ashley - is planning a wedding of her own. Haven wishes things could just go back to the way they were. Then an old boyfriend of Ashley's reenters the picture, and through him, Haven sees the past for what it really was, and comes to grips with the future.

5 out of 5 stars

funny to read I. the summer in competition to argu

By
kevin hurych
on
11-03-17

Someone Like You

By:
Sarah Dessen

Narrated by:
Katharine Powell

Length: 6 hrs and 47 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
81

Performance

4 out of 5 stars
57

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
57

Halley and Scarlett have been best friends for years, sharing secrets, clothes, and crushes. People know Scarlett as the popular, flamboyant one; Halley's just her quiet sidekick. Then, at the beginning of their junior year, the balance shifts. First, Scarlett's boyfriend Michael is killed in a freak accident; soon afterward, she learns that she is carrying his baby. She needs Halley now.

2 out of 5 stars

Huh

By
Amazon Customer
on
06-02-15

Meet Cute

By:
Helena Hunting

Narrated by:
Holly Warren,
Teddy Hamilton

Length: 9 hrs and 18 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,049

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
959

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
957

Kailyn Flowers was always calm, rational, and controlled - until she ended up sprawled all over Daxton Hughes, the former actor she totally crushed on as a teenager. Then she did the unthinkable: She became a mortifying fangirl in five seconds flat, which may or may not have included professing her undying love. And oddly, he didn't run away. In fact, their meet-cute led to a friendship she never saw coming. Of course, she never saw his betrayal coming, either.... Now, Dax needs her help. As guardian to his 13-year-old sister, he's in way over his head.

5 out of 5 stars

5stars

By
being_ericamarie
on
04-15-19

Save the Date

By:
Morgan Matson

Narrated by:
Emily Bauer

Length: 13 hrs and 31 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
208

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
193

Story

4 out of 5 stars
191

Charlie Grant’s older sister is getting married this weekend at their family home, and Charlie can’t wait - for the first time in years, all four of her older siblings will be under one roof. Charlie is desperate for one last perfect weekend before the house is sold and everything changes. The house will be filled with jokes and games and laughs again. Making decisions about things like what college to attend and reuniting with longstanding crush Jesse Foster - all that can wait. She wants to focus on making the weekend perfect.

5 out of 5 stars

Worth the Credit

By
Kaitlyn
on
06-14-18

The Wrong Bachelor

By:
Alexandra Moody

Narrated by:
Stephanie Rose,
Brandon Utah

Length: 8 hrs and 18 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
70

Performance

4 out of 5 stars
60

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
60

Bachelor: A desirable potential boyfriend. AKA not Cole Kingston. Seventeen-year-old Madison (Madi) Matthews wants nothing to do with the dating competition her school is holding to raise money for charity. She's never been interested in chasing a guy before, and she certainly isn't interested in competing for one in front of the whole school. But, when Madi is voted as one of the 10 "lucky" contestants, she's given no choice but to vie for the heart of Lincoln High's most eligible bachelor. The problem is, they've chosen the wrong guy.

Loved the book, Male narrator, not so much.

Maybe This Time

By:
Kasie West

Narrated by:
Ana Isabel

Length: 7 hrs and 48 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
44

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
41

Story

4 out of 5 stars
41

Sophie works for the local florist, so she's part of every big event in her small hometown, delivering flowers and making sure things run smoothly (which they almost never do). This year, Sophie has tons of events to get through - including a wedding, a funeral, a Valentine's Day party, a Fourth of July cookout, Thanksgiving, and a New Year's Eve bash. And at each event, she runs into Andrew, the distractingly cute - and annoyingly pompous - guy working for the local caterer.

3 out of 5 stars

Fluffy Book

By
Doha
on
07-15-19

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill

By:
Abbi Waxman

Narrated by:
Emily Rankin

Length: 9 hrs and 3 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
622

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
590

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
585

The only child of a single mother, Nina has her life just as she wants it: a job in a bookstore, a kick-butt trivia team, a world-class planner and a cat named Phil. If she sometimes suspects there might be more to life than reading, she just shrugs and picks up a new book. When the father Nina never knew existed suddenly dies, leaving behind innumerable sisters, brothers, nieces, and nephews, Nina is horrified. They all live close by! They're all - or mostly all - excited to meet her! She'll have to Speak. To. Strangers. It's a disaster!

5 out of 5 stars

Good feeling read

By
J. Kit
on
07-15-19

Editorial Reviews

Sarah Dessen is young adult author royalty with numerous awards and a best-selling streak. She is known for creating authentic characters in various family predicaments and on journeys of self-discovery. What Happened to Goodbye follows this formula while managing to be fresh and moving.

Dessen’s newest teen protagonist, Mclean, is ready to start over yet again. After her parents’ messy divorce, she chose to live with her father who has a consulting job for failing restaurants. For two years, she’s moved every few months, becoming a new person in every new town. When she arrives in Lakeview (a familiar town for Dessen fans), she must decide who she wants to be and how she’s going to handle her estranged mother.

New narrator Meredith Hagner, a former soap opera star, performs the book like a conversation and nails the dialogue with convincing teen inflections and fast pace. While Hagner’s rapid fire dialogue works well, her fast performance of the expository narration makes it hard to follow and enjoy Dessen’s sharp writing. In the latter half of the novel, she settles into a better rhythm and gives a strong performance.

Sarah Dessen consistently captures the angst of high school and family dynamics. Usually there’s a romance angle, and What Happens to Goodbye has Mclean dancing around a perceptive and smart boy next door, Dave Wade. Some Dessen devotees might be disappointed that there’s less of a love story in this book than some of her previous novels. There is more emphasis on other secondary characters though, an interesting assortment of teens with their own challenges.

What Happened to Goodbye is a great choice for female young adult readers, both avid and reluctant. It’s an engaging and satisfying listen, perfect for road trips and book groups. Meredith Hagner has a promising start as a narrator and Dessen adds to her excellent body of work. Julie MacDonald

Publisher's Summary

Since her parents' bitter divorce, Mclean and her dad, a restaurant consultant, have been on the move - four towns in two years. Estranged from her mother and her mother's new family, Mclean has followed her dad in leaving the unhappy past behind. And each new place gives her a chance to try out a new persona: from cheerleader to drama diva. But now, for the first time, Mclean discovers a desire to stay in one place and just be herself - whoever that is. Perhaps her neighbor Dave, an academic superstar trying to be just a regular guy, can help her find out. Combining Sarah Dessen's trademark graceful writing, great characters, and compelling storytelling, What Happened to Goodbye is irresistible reading.

Be Prepared for a Great Book!

I really enjoyed listening to 'What Happened to Goodbye' by Sarah Dessen. It's the type of of story I'm always on the hunt for. It really expresses a lot of what every teenage girl goes through! A young girl who is trying to find her place in the world. I recommended this book to all my friends and I hope they read it because they will be seriously missing out!

And Meredith Hagner is a pretty good narrator, she just needs to put more personality into her characters. Give them more life! And if she decides to narrate another book, I will most definitely consider buying the audio; if the story line is good, of course! -Mel-

One of her best!

I'm a big Sarah Dessen fan, but this might be my favorite yet. The narrator is perfect, really brings the characters to life AND has good comic timing! Highly recommended if you're looking for a good YA novel with great characters.

Skip it & check out other books by Sarah Dessen

I have read several books by Sarah Dessen and usually enjoy them very much, but this was my least favorite. There was very little substance and I waited the whole book for something to happen and it just didnt. I suggest checking into her other books and skipping this one. I did however like the narrarator and that for me is a big deal when listening to an audiobook.

Ideal beach read!

I can't rave enough about the narration of Meredith Hagner. She made the book so much more pleasurable for me. I liked the characters a lot and the minor conflicts that happen. It's a light read and perfect at the beach. I recommend if you want a fun, quick read.

TV Show

This story line is so much like a tv show. There isn’t a whole lot that happens and I wished that there was a little more excitement somewhere in the story. I kept waiting for an “oh my!” moment and it never came.

Terrible Narrator

I love this story by Sarah Dessen, but the narrator almost ruins it completely. You can tell she doesn’t understand the main character by the way she uses inflection incorrectly and it takes you out of the story. She makes McLean sound like a valley girl...not even close.

great book

great book I have read several of Sarah Dessen books and this was was a keeper. It did not disappoint and was very good.
It is about a girl whose family went through a public divorce. - She moves around with her dad and at each place she changes her name and her personality. But this time she is herself.
Read it -- it is worth a credit

Enjoyable Read ..

I really Love Sarah Dessen and this book was so good , but the final chapters of it were a little bit annoying to me , I felt that the story isn't going anywhere and I just wanted to finish it at the end , but I really liked the characters especially mcklean :)

Love, love love!

No matter how hard I try I cannot get enough Sarah Dessen! Each and every single one of her characters feel real. Each and every book has touched my heart.
Mclean is probably one of my favorite characters though. She is a girl whose parents are divorced, and she is living with her traveling father, staying in each city, and school, just a few months at a time. Each time they land somewhere new she changes her name and reinvents herself. I love the idea of the 'fresh start' she does with each move.